Oli Sykes Hit by Fan’s Phone, Suffers Concussion

Oli Sykes was four songs into Bring Me the Horizon‘s Monday night show at St. Louis’ Enterprise Center when a phone came flying out of the crowd and struck him in the head. The band had just launched into “Happy Song” — the 2015 fan favorite off That’s the Spirit — when the device hit the frontman, leaving him visibly stunned.

Fan-captured footage shows Sykes recoiling from the impact before picking the phone up off the stage floor, glancing at it, then tossing it toward security at the side of the stage. His reaction was equal parts furious and remarkably composed: “Who the f–k just threw a phone?” he demanded — then, with a flash of dry British humor, added, “Cheers, though, that was sick.”

What followed was a difficult night. Fans in attendance noticed Sykes was reluctant to walk down the catwalk that typically brings him closer to the crowd — something he usually does freely. He told the audience he felt “dizzy” from the hit, and throughout the rest of the set he kept reaching up to touch his head. One concertgoer later noted his temple was “swollen and scratched up pretty bad.” He also skipped his usual crowd interaction during “Drown,” a moment that had become a reliable part of recent shows. Still, Bring Me the Horizon didn’t cut the night short — they played all 16 songs on the setlist before calling it.

Sykes Confirms Concussion, Apologizes for His Performance

The next morning, Sykes took to his Instagram Stories to address what happened — and to do something not every performer would: apologize to the fans who were there.

“Alright everyone — just wanted to let you know I’m all good,” he wrote. “The phone to the head definitely smarted and I ended up with a mild concussion, but the swelling’s gone down a decent amount already.”

Then came the part that said a lot about him: “Last night I was struggling a bit on stage afterwards because singing was putting a lot of pressure on the wound and making things feel a bit disorienting while performing, so I’m sorry on my part for what may of seemed like a half hearted performance.”

He closed with reassurance for anyone headed to the next show. “Appreciate everyone checking in and worrying about me though. Everything should be fine for tonight’s gig. – Oli xx.”

The Kansas City date at T-Mobile Center went ahead as planned.

Fans Are Furious — and They’re Not Wrong

Online, the reaction from the fanbase was swift and unambiguous. On Reddit, one user paraphrased Austin Powers: “Who throws a phone? Honestly?!” On X, replies ranged from disbelief to outrage. “People nowadays have no concept of concert etiquette,” one person wrote. Another was more blunt: “He struggled to finish after this, f–k whoever did this.” One Instagram user put it plainly: “Whoever threw the phone tonight at Oli in St. Louis is a complete asshole. Get well soon, Oli! The band still finished despite this accident.”

The general sentiment? Anger at the thrower, and genuine admiration that Sykes and the band refused to walk off stage.

“Poor dude. He’s so chill that he didn’t even make a big deal out of it. I would have been so mad if I got hit with a phone lol,” one fan wrote — a sentiment that pretty much captured the room.

A Pattern That Keeps Getting Worse

What happened to Sykes is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. Over the past few years, the list of artists who’ve been pelted by objects mid-performance has grown alarmingly long: Bebe Rexha, Kelly Clarkson, Ava Max, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Drake, and Kelsea Ballerini have all dealt with it. Just days before the St. Louis show, Eric Clapton cut his Madrid concert short after a fan allegedly threw a vinyl record at him during his Movistar Arena performance, striking the 81-year-old in the chest as he walked off stage. He left without performing his encore. Last year, Fred Durst had to physically swat away a drone during a Limp Bizkit show in Istanbul — the band was, somewhat perfectly, playing “Take a Look Around” when it happened. Green Day faced a similar drone disruption at a Detroit show.

In 2023, Adele addressed the whole ugly trend directly during her Las Vegas residency. “Have you noticed how people are, like, forgetting f—ing show etiquette in America?” she told her crowd. “They’re just throwing shit onstage.”

Nothing has changed since. If anything, it’s gotten worse.

Bring Me the Horizon continue their U.S. run through the week — St. Paul on Wednesday, Chicago on Friday — before wrapping the tour Saturday as headliners at Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio. Full tour details are available at the band’s official site. Sykes, for his part, sounds ready. A mild concussion and a swollen temple, and the man still signed off with “xx.”